Ribbon cutting ceremony held for Sensory Garden in Eureka

EUREKA- A garden is now open in Eureka that all people, including those with various physical and sensory disabilities, can enjoy.

"We have such a diverse population here. The more of this kind of thing that we can do to include everybody in various parts of the city, I think it's good for everybody," said Mayor Frank Jager, the Mayor of the City of Eureka.

City officials, members of the Humboldt Council of the Blind and other members of the community attended the Sensory Garden Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday. The Humboldt Council of the Blind created the Sensory Garden with assistance from the City of Eureka’s Department of Parks and Recreation. It is located at the foot of F Street, and it has 8 planter beds. The plants have braille as well as enlarged print labeling with them. Some of the plants will make sounds when they mature, and they are all fragrant and colorful. Plants will be rotated based on the season. The President of the Humboldt Council of the Blind, James Forbes, says he hopes the garden will help remove some of the stigma attached to people living with disabilities.

"People don't always understand what we do or how we do it, and this is just one way to bring us closer into the community, to bring us closer to everybody else," said Forbes.